A typical data storage system includes a rigid housing having a base and top cover that encloses a variety of components. The components include a medium or media for storage of digital information that is mounted on a motor assembly. The components also include an actuator assembly used to position one or more transducers along the medium to read and/or write information to particular locations on the medium. The transducers are mounted to a suspension of the actuator assembly. The suspension maintains the transducers adjacent to or in contact with the data surface of the medium. A voice coil motor is used to precisely position the actuator assembly.
Motor assemblies can release harmful chemicals into the housing of the data storage system within which it resides. These released chemicals can cause damage to the transducers and medium also enclosed within the housing of the data storage system. Traditional ways to prevent damage caused by chemical leakage include reducing or eliminating particular types of problematic chemicals in the motor assembly as well as by reducing the gap size between the motor and the base of the housing to reduce leakage. Although these methods can somewhat reduce the severity of the problem, these methods fail to significantly reduce the presence of chemicals in the data storage system enough to eliminate the problem. In addition, traditional ways of preventing damage by chemicals tend to be cost inefficient.